Report: Cowboys launch Romo negotiations

Posted by Mike Florio on February 21, 2013, 1:28 AM EST

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The Dallas Cowboys have been interested for months in extending the contract of franchise quarterback Tony Romo. And after months of dragging their feet, it appears that Romo’s camp at least is willing to listen.

Cowboys executive V.P. Stephen Jones tells 105.3 The Fan in Dallas that talks aimed at adding years to Romo’s deal — and in turn reducing his $16.8 million cap number for 2013 — have commenced.

“We have a great quarterback and he deserves to be paid,’’ Jones said. “We have a good quarterback and we want to reward him. He’s in the last year of a contract and our goal is to not let the quarterback run out of contract.’’

For now, Jones characterizes the talks as “informal.” And in the hopes of making them more formal, Jones appears to be trying to lay the salary-cap guilt trip on Romo.

“I think on this particular situation with Tony is we think we have a great quarterback and we want him to be our quarterback here for the next four to five years,” Jones said. “When you have a good one and you’re fortunate enough to have a good one, then he’s going to take up the biggest part of your cap space, so you have to be partners with one another and you have to do things. No one wants to win more, no one wants to have success more than Tony. He knows in order to do that we have to manage our cap and he plays a big part in that because the percentage of the cap that he takes.’’

Romo’s current deal can’t be “restructured” because there’s only one year left on it. The cap number will drop only if the parties extend the deal to cover future years. But Romo has no reason to extend the contract without receiving a large chunk of cash.

When the Cowboys wanted to talk contract during the 2012 season, Romo’s reps resisted, sensing that the team simply wanted to buy low. And the Cowboys may still try to low ball Romo, whose leverage increases with the jump in his cap number.

If Romo is willing to shoulder the risk of injury, he can ride out the final year of his deal, forcing the Cowboys to use the franchise tag in 2014. Based on his 2013 cap number, it would cost the Cowboys $20.16 million to keep him next season.

For that reason, Romo should be seeking a minimum guaranteed payment of $36.96 million, which is the sum of what he’ll make over the next two seasons.

Adding a third season to that package, and Romo’s pay for 2015 under the franchise tag would be $24.192 million. That pushes his three-year haul to more than $61 million.

“We have a great quarterback and he deserves to be paid,’’ Jones said. “We have a good quarterback and we want to reward him. He’s in the last year of a contract and our goal is to not let the quarterback run out of contract.’’
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That quote parallels the perception of Romo since he took over for Bledsoe.
1st Sentence: Great quarterback
2nd: Good quarterback
3rd: the quarterback

wish I had that much cash to waste on nothing special. that’s like withdrawing your life savings to but a Lamborghini and coming home with a 69 dodge dart. sure it’ll get you to work most the time but you ain’t winning any titles with it. but then again with raiders outcast calling the plays and grandpa Kiffin eatin soup by the fire overpaying Romo to underperform is the perfect twist this glass of fruit punch needed.

Romo has had his fair shares of ups and downs along with boatloads of ridicule, anyone can admit that. If the Cowboys FO have any brains (heavy skepticism) then they will do everything in their power to add an offensive line that resembles something that belongs in the NFL. Also, add a running game that creates a “remote” threat so the opposing linebackers don’t automatically drop back into coverage due to the Cowboys junior high-esque running game.
In the past few years Romo has had to make the plays himself i.e. escaping pass rushing defensive tackles and nose guards after they gave a run of the mill twist stunts on the Cowboys offensive line in which looked like they were lost or threading the proverbial needle through double coverage in hopes of not getting waylaid.

Everyone that loves to jump Romo at the drop of a hat needs to recognize that the Cowboys would honestly be a three-four win team without him.

Romo simply needs a better supporting cast that won’t simply fold up at any given minute.

In this league you need a QB. I don’t know how much of cowboys failure blame should be on romo and how much should be the coach and Jerry jones. For all the stars on offense and defense it doesn’t equal yo success

I don’t always predict wannabe witty comments, but when I do, it goes something like this……
Logicalvoices says: Doesn’t matter, because RG3 is going to own Romo and the rest of the NFL for the next 50 years….Dez fears Deangelo, Cruz Fears Deangelo, Fear fears Deangelo (etc.)

SometrollfromanotherNFCEASTteamwrote:
Thanks Cowboys,
The rest of the NFC east

I actually feel bad for the Cowboys being in this situation. He’s a chronic choker but also a stats accumulator. He can’t win a big game but wins many of the rest. Just can’t let him go, but you just can’t win a championship with him either. Jones will have to mortgage that big scoreboard to pay off this deal.

The thinking with the Cowboys right now has to be that, gee, sooner or later Romo is going to learn to stop having meltdowns in big games. There is little doubt that the guy have the physical talent to be a championship QB, but how many times does a guy have to screw up in a big game?

So why do people think he should get so much money? He has not even been to a NFC championship game let alone a Superbowl. He’s average at best.. I think they offer him a little above average money and find a young guy to groom.

Funny how its just a qbs fault if you don’t win a playoff game last time I checked its a team effort… Romo doesn’t play defense and if you don’t recognize the skills that romo has then your just jealous that he plays for the cowboys and you know not a thing about the NFL and youd rather just sit at your cpu and type like a 5 year old kid with nothing better to do than talk smack

Let’s say that Romo has 3 or 4 more “quality” years in him. Out of those 3 or 4 years, with him at the helm, the Cowboys may get lucky enough to get one championship under their belt.
Is that what we want, to rely on luck? Tony has a proven track record of choking under pressure. The whole sports world has witnessed this. Why the hell is Jones being so stubborn? Can’t admit he made a mistake making Tony a franchise player?
There is something in Romo’s mindset that keep him from being the champion that his other stats say he should be. Can you say Bledsoe?
Sorry Tony but with you at the helm, I just can’t get excited about Cowboys football. I’m just waiting for the next guy to spark my hope again.
I’ll always be faithful to the Cowboys, just not hopeful until he leaves.

Guys Romo is a good QB who has never had a good O-Line since he started, put Eli let me throw up a ball stick in my guys face mask Manning behind Romo’s O-line and let’s see if he get’s any Super Bowl Titles as far as RG3 he looked good but his life shelf is now less than what it was considering the injury he got.. bottom line if Dallas can manage to get better O-lineman a 1,000 yard rusher (not since Julius Jones) and a Defense that can actually stay on the field until this all happens no QB will have success back there…

Giants fans want to talk about how they won 2 super bowls in 5 yrs. and although that is true can’t take it away from them but they were lucky to have them both against the Pats “Eli throws up what should’ve been an interception or at least knocked down “LUCK” then the other game ashante Samuel should’ve intercepted that ball by the sideline if he does that an undefeated season for the PATS “luck” for the Giants If Dallas had an owner that would stop pissing away bad drafts (2009) getting players passed their prime and still paying for these bums after their gone they wouldn’t be in the salary cap hell they are in now!!! IT ALL STARTS UP FRONT!!! on both sides of the ball!!

yes Romo makes stupid ass mistakes but he’s good enough to win the Super Bowl as long as the players on both sides of the ball play well…

see other teams that didn’t do well from 2012
Steelers
Eagles
Giants

me personally I hope Romo leaves dallas so he can prove the nay sayers wrong!!

with that o-line any other QB wouldnt have lasted the whole season thats part of why I love Romo cause he makes plays when the line breaks down which is all the time so show me a Qb that wont turn the ball over with a Line like he had then u Romo Haters will have a Arguement!!!

If you respect Brett Favre, then you better respect Tony Romo. And yes, I am comparing the two. They’re both gun slingers who take stupid risks and have lost plenty of games from simply mistakes.

Tony Romo makes those mistakes because he HAS to do too much. His offensive line does not block, his running back can’t stay healthy, and he’s just now finally getting a consistent and stable receiver that he can depend on. Cause Miles Austin is the most inconsistent player I’ve ever seen.

It’s to the point that even when Romo makes the same mistake as another QB, it gets blown up. Until I see you guys put up 4,000 yards with a mediocre line constantly per season, you have no room to talk.

I’m a Cowboys fan and even I’m getting sick of the number of Cowboys articles on PFT these days. I see why they do it, because these articles are always the most commented on, mostly by people that hate the team. But still…damn!

I am a grown up.
The Brett Favre analogy also goes against you. Favre won a Super Bowl, got to another, and was a consistent playoff contender with really some lousy lines in Green Bay.
You also make the mistake of the modern world: that numbers somehow translate into victories. Dan Marino had off-the-chart numbers. Good enough to be elected to the Hall of Fame. He never won the Super Bowl. Ask Marino if he would want all the statistics or the ring.
It’s all about wins and losses and not about what the fantasy freaks think is football. If an NFL team never allowed any points all year yet scored only one field goal each game, the stats nuts would say they have the worst offense in the history of the league and they would be right. But the offense was just good enough to win, along with the greatest defense in the history of the game. So a team would win the Super Bowl scoring 60 points in a year.
So much for stats. A modern day analogy is the ’85 Bears. Jim McMahon has more Super Bowl rings than Tony Romo. So does Trent Dilfer.
Romo has had his chance to prove he can lead a team to the Super Bowl. He hasn’t, and he won’t. He’s an adequate NFL QB at best surrounded by a totally dysfunctional organization run into the ground by egomaniac Jerry Jones.

I understand that Romo does a lot to mask the deficiencies of his team. But can we also not pretend like he’s been surrounded by a bunch of bozos his entire career? He’s played on teams with very good defenses, including the #1 overall in the NFC in 2009 if I remember correctly. He’s played with Hall of Fame caliber talents at TE and WR. First round picks at WR, RB, Tackle.

Yes, I’m a Giants fan but believe it or not I do respect Romo’s ability. Cowboys-Giants games are have for the most part been closely contested struggles since he took over. But to say He’s suffered from a dearth of talent around him his entire career is incorrect.

Romo is far from a turnover machine check the numbers. Romo is a great qb Super Bowl wins aren’t the only measuring stick for greatness. Archie manning was a great qb who never win anything much less actual football games. Where else does Dallas go I not with romo, the only thing that dampers the situation is the fact that garbage qb named mike Vick got 2 100 million dollar contracts. So you give him 100 mill what is to y worth. Everyone blames the eagles horrible o line for how bad Vick is but don’t see how great romo is for putting up the numbers he does behind an equally bad o line

Guys Romo is a good QB who has never had a good O-Line since he started, put Eli let me throw up a ball stick in my guys face mask Manning behind Romo’s O-line and let’s see if he get’s any Super Bowl Titles
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give me a break. its called having the awareness to see where the blitz is coming from and/or having the brains to throw the ball away to avoid a sack. there’s a reason eli throws more picks and has a lower completion percentage but takes less sacks – he protects himself. romo is a stat guy but doesnt have it when it counts and never will.

I can’t name too many QBs that havew thrown 4 INTs in a half. In any event, the Packers’ O-line isn’t too good, they have no running game, lost their No. 1 receiver Greg Jennings for a chunk of the season, and their supposed superstar TE, Finley is mediocre at best. Yet the Packers were pretty successful this year. Fact is, for every 10 passes, 7 are probably good ones and 3 are terrible. That doesn’t cut it in the NFL. The Cowboys need to move on from Romo and start thinking about his successor.

Bizarre. These people who insist that Mr. Romo is a valid qb are ignorant, delusional and suffering effects consistent with methamphetamine abuse
(ie: bad judgement).

Mr. Romo, on a very consistent basis, has proven to be lacking in growth, consistency and viable production. Yes, Mr. Romo can deliver “flash in the pan” staistics, but this is not the behaviour of a good qb. Dump him. Lets move on to quality football.

okay, that’s enough! will the bleeding hearts and artist please leave the room. (pink Floyd reference) seriously folks stop it with it’s everybody else but Romo crizzap. Romo is not a third of fourth year player, he’s not adjusting to a new system, none of that stuff. despite the fact that the Giants have been to the superbowl twice in 5 years, the NFC east has been weak as of late. the Eagles were not that good of a team for most of their run but, the NFC east was weak. if Romo had anything worth showcasing it would have emerged by now. how weak has it been? my god, people are calling Eli an elite QB that’s how weak. the guy has nothing. Dallas has nothing. coaches get running backs to run and linemen to block on every team but yours? c’mon pass me that bag of glue, I’d like a whiff

Ya I find it hard to believe after all the young QB’s that dominated this season that Romo is even in the top 10 of QB’s I think you have a list an mine is 1. Brady 2. Manning 3. Rodgers 4. Bree’s 5. Keapernick 6. Ryan 7. Flacco 8. Luck 9. RG3 10. Wilson now I do realize the young guys have to show consistency. To really be considered elite for instance both Wilson and RG3 concern me not because they arnt awesome but there size and way they play history shows they might struggle to stay heathly in which case you have to find QB’s who can play like at least 13 games or more every season and be there for playoffs well anyway that’s my thoughts.

he should go to another team. he gets a lot of unfair criticism.
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He’s had “win and in” games against all 3 teams in the NFC East, and lost them all. And, he threw that disgraceful interception in the 4th quarter of the Week 17 Redskins game that EVERYONE KNEW WAS COMING. What exactly is unfair about that criticism?

Ok brainiacs, name one qb that’s available that would be better than Romo. It’s not like great qbs are a dime a dozen. Oh wait, that’s right, they have the guy that couldn’t beat out Tim Tebow in Denver on their roster. They should start him. What a bunch of morons….

Exactly chico54!! If you’re romo do you want to extend a contract in the circus front office that is the Dallas cowboys?? He should have had an elite line six years ago!! Go to a team that will protect you romo!!! Maybe you’ll win!….

Romo has shown what he is over the last close to a decade (7 years) as a starter. He is a great stats player but the natural leadership and the intangibles required to win big games does not exist. Cowboys fans need to be honest with themselves. Romo has had good teams, good o-lines, good defenses, good receivers and more during his career. Each year it’s always “if Romo had this, and if Romo had that”. Come on, please. Romo has had better teams than most ever play with during his career here in Dallas. It’s time for Dallas to move on and Romo to do the same. If Vick was here with the same numbers, same number of playoff wins (1) and the same consistent record of loosing in big games largely because of his decision making, we would be ready to hang him. This love affair with Romo should have ended 2 years ago. Because of it we have more of the same to look forward to, no replacement in sight and Jerry Jones ignorance.